Re: RC: RE: re: Treeless Saddles

[Mickie Newnam <akela@peoplepc.com>]

kathy,
I don't do huge mileage, but I weigh in at around 220# and have ridden in
a sport saddle for around 6 years.  This includes some 2-day 50s (CTR) in
a variety of conditions and terrain.  My gelding is very hard to fit
through the shoulders and he loves his sport saddle!  A friend has a
saddle that has a tree that actually fits him (an old Simco Western show
saddle) but even with it he gets ticked off at me if I put that hard
thing on his back!  I'm not the best rider though I do try my best to
stay balanced.  I started out with just a thick pad, then that wasn't
quite enough so I went to that plus a foam pad on top.  that worked for
years but I've gotten tired of all that bulk under my leg so have finally
gotten a skito pad for it.  He's never had a sore back except once when a
junior used him on a novice 20-miler and I didn't pad him correctly;
thought since she was lighter than I was I'd use a thinner, cooler
underpad without stopping to think that she'd never done that distance
and was not as in tune with his movement as I am.
But as someone said, they don't fit every horse any more than any other
saddle does.  (We do have 10 or 11 at the barn where I board though!)
You find what works and stick with it!  this is by far the longest I've
ever been able to use the same saddle on him, especially as his back is
dropping just a bit -- he's 18.  And they don't always work for the rider
either, but I certainly love mine!
Mickie

Kathy Mayeda wrote:

> I don't believe there is a "universal saddle" that would
> work for all horses or riders!
>
> I know several happy people and horses with sports saddles,
> but all of them that I know are riding as lightweights or
> featherweights.  I wonder if anyone would care to comment
> on how well they would work for a heavyweight rider?
>
> K.
>
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